TALES OF ATONEMENT
Stories from Malayagiri's Commentary on the Vyavahara Bhasya
Prakrit text in roman + English translation
Critically edited with an English translation by Prof. Dr. Willem Bollée
Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series Volume 28
Mumbai: Hindi Granth Karyalay
2009 275 x 210 mm 116 pages
ISBN 978-81-88769-38-4 Paperback Rs. 300
Jainism is the religion of the self-reliant - the Shramanas. There is no all-pervading central deity who runs the world. Hence, the emphasis is on personal piety, ethics and non-violence.
Jainism being the tradition of the self-reliant ones, the conduct of Jain monks is expected to be the acme of perfection. Jain monks are known for their strict penance, stringent rules of conduct and depth of knowledge. However rarely, there are mistakes and transgressions committed even by the Jain ascetics.
Since it is obligatory for Jain ascetics to follow the Jain code of conduct very strictly, any transgressions made by them, need to be atoned for.
Atonement is known as Prayashcitta. Jains have evolved a formal ritual of atonement, known as Pratikramana. There are several scriptures devoted to Pratikramana, dealing with its practical, spiritual, etiological and ontological aspects
The Vyavahara Bhasya is one such text that deals with the conduct of monks and especially those who happen to have transgressed their vows. It is a very important work in the Shvetambara tradition.
Some years ago, we had the good fortune of publishing a short Pithika of the Vyavahara Bhasya edited and translated into English by Professor Bollée. The current work is a critically edited English translation of select portions of Acarya Malayagiri's commentary on the Vyavahara Bhasya.
The Vyavahara Sutra is one of the Cheda Sutras, a Jain text based on monastic discipline and how transgressions ought to be atoned for. Scholiasts composed several stories in their commentaries on these texts, in order to break the monotony and illustrate certain points more effectively.
Prof. Dr. Willem Bollée, one of the world's leading Prakritists and Jain scholars, has critically edited the Prakrit text and rendered an excellent English translation of the same. He has also provided a glossary of the Prakrit words found in the text as well as a subject index.
This work is a brilliant academic work on an important Jain text. We are proud to publish it as part of our ongoing Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series.